"I'm going to kill him!" Sun Ji, with his dead fish eyes, glanced at the old man beside him.

The old man transmitted his voice: "Don't worry, our people will find him naturally once we leave Xiaoyao Tower."

Sun Ji calmed down a bit and led his men toward the venue.

After both parties left, the guards of Xiaoyao Tower gathered around the steward: "Old Wei, that jade pendant was given away too easily. Although that cornflower blue was precious, it shouldn't have made the tower treat him like this."

Clearly, they didn't understand why they would offend a prominent figure in Yi County for the sake of this arrogant young man.

The steward replied, "It's certainly not just a cornflower blue gem. However, this gem is only produced on some islands in the mysterious South Seas, which are the territory of the sea tribes. Ordinary people simply cannot obtain it. I suspect that he may have a background with the sea tribes, so I made an exception and gave him a jade token in the hope that he can befriend the sea tribes."

The other guards sighed, "So what if they are sea people? They are powerful in the ocean, but they have little influence on land. Now that they have offended Young Master Sun, they may not be able to leave Yi County alive."

The butler frowned, recalling Zu An's arrogant tone. "We've done everything we could. What happens to him afterward is none of our business."

...

On the other side, Zu An entered the venue, and soon a waiter came to greet him. Seeing the jade token in his hand, the waiter's expression became even more respectful, and he led him to a private room: "Honorable guest, after the auction begins, if you see anything you like, you can raise your jade token to bid, and our people will be able to see it."

Zuan observed that the layout inside was very similar to a theater in his previous life. The venue was located at the bottom center, where staff were currently busy preparing the items to be auctioned later.

The rows of seats below are probably for regular guests, while the top floor is a ring of small private rooms furnished with expensive teak tables and chairs covered with soft cashmere cushions.

The corner was filled with the finest sandalwood incense, and the porcelain cups on the table were of the same quality as those in the imperial palace. Zu An was increasingly impressed by the profound background of Xiaoyao Tower.

"Would you like tea or wine, sir? We have famous drinks from all over the world here," the waiter asked with a smile.

"Let's have a pot of Sparrow Tongue tea," Zu'an said casually, remembering the code Gao Ying had given him on the way.

The waiter nodded, then handed over a small booklet: "Do you have any familiar girls on the second floor? If needed, you can call them up to serve you. You are the most distinguished guest, so you can summon the most beautiful courtesans on the second floor at will."

Zuan curiously took the booklet and found that every page was filled with vivid portraits of beautiful women, some innocent and some alluring, in all styles.

It must be said that the painters in this world are different from those in the previous life who focused on freehand brushwork. They are more realistic. Every girl in the album is vivid and lifelike, just like in the photos. In fact, they are even more lively than in the photos.

The document not only features portraits of each person, but also detailed introductions and their individual strengths, such as their expertise in playing musical instruments like the xiao (vertical flute).

Zuan was filled with emotion. He was truly a conscience of the industry. In his previous life, those foot massage parlors would ask you if you had any familiar technicians. How was I supposed to know which one I was familiar with if I hadn't even seen their faces?

"No need." Zu An closed the booklet and handed it back to the other person. He wasn't particularly interested in courtesans, and besides, what if she was serving Pei You and he accidentally called her up? The ship of friendship could capsize at any moment.

"Please feel free to call me if you need anything." The waiter didn't say anything more, put away the booklet, and slowly withdrew.

Zuan went to the window and found that the design was ingenious. He could clearly see what was happening in the meeting room, but it was difficult for people outside to see what was happening in the private room. There was a sense of uncertainty between a public place and a private space.

He couldn't help but look a little strange. No wonder the waiter had said he could summon the courtesan from the second floor; some people must enjoy that kind of thing.

Unable to see clearly inside the private room, he scanned the entire room and discovered that the guests in the lower seats were truly hidden talents, with many possessing high levels of cultivation.

His gaze fell on a gaunt man shrouded in a black robe. The man seemed to have deliberately concealed his energy fluctuations, but with his current cultivation level, he could still see through some of it, at least to the eighth rank.

In addition, he also sensed the aura of a ninth-rank expert in the arena, but he was unable to detect the other party's figure.

"It seems to have come from backstage. It must be someone from Xiaoyao Tower. No wonder they can hold their own in such a chaotic place."

Although Zuan had seen quite a few grandmasters, those were in the capital, a place where great figures gathered. Grandmasters were not so common in ordinary times. The ninth rank was already the ceiling that people in the martial arts world could see, and they could walk sideways anywhere.

Not long after, a beautiful host walked to the center of the venue. She wore a form-fitting dress similar to a cheongsam, and her walk was truly graceful. Although the VIPs in the room were used to seeing beautiful women, they couldn't help but take a few more glances at her.

"Xiaoyao Tower really knows how to do things well." Zu An smiled. Although he didn't care much about beauty these days, appreciating a beautiful woman was still a pleasant thing.

The beautiful woman introduced the auction's procedures and rules to the audience with a sweet smile. There should be an amplification array in the venue, as her voice could be clearly heard in every corner despite her mediocre cultivation level.

The auction quickly began with the first item. The auctioneer picked up a brocade tray, untied the silk covering, revealing a beautiful sapphire. She smiled and introduced it, "This exquisite cornflower blue sapphire comes from the depths of the South Seas..."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!